USA > Illinois > The rise and progress of Freemasonry in Illinois, 1783-1952 > Part 25
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Brethren:
I am directed by the Grand Lodge of the State of Illinois to appear before you this morning for the purpose of calling to order the dele- gates who are appointed to meet here in this Masonic Congress. There were two reasons why I was designated for this purpose; one was that I had the honor, by reason of the suffrages of the constituent Lodges of the Grand Lodge of Illinois, to be Grand Master, and the other was that I didn't know how to make a speech. In the name of the Grand Lodge of Illinois and of the thousands of Masons in this Grand Jurisdiction, brethren, I welcome you here this morning.
The first business was the election of Brother J. L. Power as secre- tary of the congress. Brother Power was serving his twenty-fifth year as Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Mississippi.
Rev. Irvin Miller, Grand Master of Masons of Mississippi, was con- ducted to the altar to offer up the introductory prayer.
The roll of Grand Jurisdictions was called and delegations were announced present as follows: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, British Columbia, California, Canada, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Dis- trict of Columbia, England, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Indian Territory, Iowa, Ireland, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Hamp- shire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nova Scotia, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Rhode Island, Scotland, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, United Grand Lodge of Vic- toria, United Grand Lodge of New South Wales, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Grand Lodge Three Globes, Berlin.
The committee on permanent organization reported:
1. That the officers shall consist of a President and six Vice Presi- dents, one Secretary and two assistant Secretaries, to be elected by the delegates.
2. That in addition to the above the Presiding Officer at the open- ing of each day shall call some suitable delegate to officiate as Chaplain, and shall also appoint one Door Keeper, one Marshall, and two Assistant Marshalls to serve during the Congress.
3. That in electing officers, each Grand Jurisdiction represented
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is entitled to one vote, which shall be cast by ballot, and without nomi- nations.
The committee on program submitted a list of twelve subjects :-
1. Ancient Landmarks - What are they?
2. Appeals for aid from sojourning brethren and incidental to this question, begging circulars.
3. Candidates - Physical qualifications.
4. Correspondence between Grand Lodges and Lodges, Foreign Grand Officers, members and Lodges, with Grand Lodge and Grand Officers - through whom conducted?
5. Entered Apprentices - Are they Masons? Should conferring that degree confer membership? Otherwise does not conferring the Master's degree confer membership? Should not the original practice of transact- ing business in the first degree be restored?
6. Non affiliation - How shall the evil be lessened? And, inciden- tally, the rights of non-affiliates.
7. Grand Masters - Powers and prerogatives.
8. Jurisdiction over candidates, elected or rejected. Is it perpetual or limited?
9. Proceedings of Grand Lodges - Size, uniformity, etc., and to whom distributed.
10. Can officers resign? If not, why not?
11. Vouching - is it lawful?
12. Can a regular Lodge make a clandestine Mason?
Another set of subjects was presented to be discussed if time per- mitted.
1. Clothing - for lodge and public.
2. Past Master's Degree - Should it be retained?
3. What is the proper penalty for non-payment of dues?
4. Grand Honors, public and private - How given? When?
5. Grand Representative System - Is it useful and beneficial?
6. Intercourse - Is severance of desirable under any circum- stances?
7. Should the use of the word "Masonic" in business be discour- aged?
8. Masonic Periodicals.
9. The Master - His powers, prerogatives, titles.
10. Objection - By members, non-members and non-affiliates.
11. Has a visitor the right to demand the sight of the lodge charter before examination?
12. Dimit - The right to, and life of. Can a lodge officer dimit? And should a duplicate certificate be issued?
The first list of subjects was thoroughly discussed and the conclu- sions arrived at were:
1. Grand Lodge Sovereignty - The conclusion of the Congress is,
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that a Grand Lodge duly organized in a State or other autonomous terri- tory is rightfully possessed of absolute Masonic sovereignty therein.
2. A Plea for Improved Proceedings - The conclusion of the Con- gress is, that the formation of Masonic libraries should be encouraged and fostered; and inasmuch as the published proceedings of our Grand Lodges and other Masonic bodies do and ever will constitute the larger part of such libraries, greater care and more pains should be bestowed upon the preparation and publication of such proceedings, to the end that they may have greater value in every Masonic collection, and that there should be a freer and more generous distribution of proceedings among the brethren, to the end that Masonic light may be more generally diffused.
3. Grand Representatives - It is the conclusion of the Congress that under the changed condition of selecting Grand Representatives, too little time has elapsed to give opportunity for definite judgment as to the usefulness of the system, and it should therefore be continued.
4. The Prerogatives of the Grand Master - It is the conclusion of the Congress that the dispensing power recognized by the Old Regula- tions as residing in the person and office of Grand Master, has been so generally exercised by that officer, from the organization of Masonry on the Grand Lodge system down to the present time, that its existence can- not be successfully denied, but that there are no dispensing powers so residing that may not be limited or wholly denied by the Grand Lodge, save such as inhere in that office under the sanctions of the Ancient Landmarks.
5. The Ancient Landmarks - The conclusion of the Congress is, that the Ancient Landmarks are those fundamental principles which char- acterize Masonry as defined by the Charges of a Freemason, and without which the institution cannot be identified as Masonry, combined with the essentials of the unwritten language by which brethren distin- guish each other as Masons.
6. The Creed of a Mason - an unequivocal belief and trust in God is the fundamental principle upon which the institution of Freemasonry was founded and must forever rest.
7. Appeals for Aid - The conclusion of the Congress is, that worthy Masons are entitled to relief from brethren and lodges whereso- ever they may be found in need of relief, and that the brethren of lodges granting such aid are not entitled to demand reimbursement from the lodges in which they hold membership, but that when a member of one lodge is relieved by another, and the financial situation of his lodge is such as to permit, common courtesy and duty alike demand that it should reimburse a poorer lodge relieving its members. Written or printed ap- peals for aid, which do not secure endorsement of the Grand Master of the jurisdiction from which they emanate, should be discountenanced.
8. Non-affiliates - The conclusion of the Congress is, that every Mason ought to be a member of some regular lodge, attend its meetings and share its burdens.
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9. Physical Qualification - It is the conclusion of the Congress that absolute competency to conform literally to all requirements of the ceremonies of the several degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry fulfills the requirement of physical perfection in a candidate for the privileges of Freemasonry as set forth in the Ancient Charges.
10. Inspection of Lodge Charters - It is the conclusion of the Con- gress that a visitor to a lodge has no right to demand an inspection of the lodge charter.
In addition to the business the delegates were lavishly entertained by various clubs, etc. At Washington Park Club, 250 partook of a dinner. Then there was a ride around the city in Tally-Ho Coaches. The committee distributed tickets to "America" the greatest attrac- tion except the World's Fair. All departed for their homes feeling well satisfied with both business and pleasure. While their delibera- tions had no force of law, yet the high character of those in attendance gave a standing to the result that was reflected throughout the Masonic world.
Chapter 34 DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES
In 1939 the Grand Lodge adopted the following:
FREEMASONRY is a charitable, benevolent, educational and religious society. Its principles are proclaimed as widely as men will hear. Its only secrets are in its methods of recognition and of symbolic instruc- tion. It is charitable in that it is not organized for profit and none of its income inures to the benefit of any individual, but all is devoted to the promotion of the welfare and happiness of mankind. It is benevolent in that it teaches and exemplifies altruism as a duty. It is educational in that it teaches by prescribed ceremonials a system of morality and brotherhood based upon the Sacred Law. It is religious in that it teaches monotheism, the Volume of the Sacred Law is open upon its altars when- ever a Lodge is in session, reverence for God is ever present in its cere- monial, and to its brethren are constantly addressed lessons of morality; yet it is not sectarian or theological. It is a social organization only so far as it furnishes additional inducement that men may foregather in numbers, thereby providing more material for its preliminary work of education, of worship, and of charity. Through the improvement and strengthening of the character of the individual man, Freemasonry seeks to improve the community. Thus it impresses upon its members the principles of personal righteousness and personal responsibility, en- lightens them as to those things which make for human welfare and inspires them with the feeling of charity, or good will, toward all man- kind which will move them to translate principle and conviction into action. To that end it teaches and stands for the worship of God; truth and justice; fraternity and philanthropy; and enlightenment and orderly liberty, civil, religious and intellectual. It charges each of its members to be true and loyal to the government of the country to which he owes allegiance and to be obedient to the law of any state in which he may be. It believes that the attainment of these objectives is best accom- plished by laying a broad basis of principle upon which men of every race, country, sect and opinion may unite rather than setting up a restricted platform upon which only those of certain races, creeds and opinions can assemble. Believing these things, this Grand Lodge affirms its continued adherence to that ancient and approved rule of Freemasonry which forbids the discussion in Masonic meetings of creeds, politics or other topics likely to excite personal animosities.
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It further affirms its conviction that it is not only contrary to the fundamental principles of Freemasonry, but dangerous to its unity, strength, usefulness and welfare, for Masonic Bodies to take action or attempt to exercise pressure or influence for or against any legislation, or in any way to attempt to procure the election or appointment of gov- ernmental officials, or to influence them, whether or not members of the Fraternity, in the performance of their official duties. The true Free- mason will act in civil life according to his individual judgment and the dictates of his conscience.
Chapter 35 THE BOOK OF THE LAW
Belief in a Supreme Being has come down to us from time immem- orial. It is a landmark. All the ancient constitutions are firm in this belief. The ancient charge "Concerning God and Religion" reads:
A Mason is obliged by his tenure to obey the moral law; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid atheist, nor an irreligious libertine.
The by-laws adopted by Western Star Lodge in 1808 read:
BE IT THEREFORE KNOWN, That to become a Brother of our Ancient Craft, a belief in the Eternal God as the great Architect of the Uni- verse is the first GREAT ESSENTIAL.
The same sentence was re-adopted in the by-laws of the reorganized lodge of 1828.
In 1829 the minutes of Far West Lodge contain this sentence:
Resolved, that owing to the atheistical opinions as publicly ex- pressed by - - , he is unworthy of being taken by the hand as a Mason. Which was unanimously adopted.
In 1852 among the list of questions to be answered by a petitioner, the first is "Do you believe in the existence of God?"
In 1845 it was:
Resolved, That this Grand Lodge is clearly of the opinion that a distinct avowal of a belief in the authenticity of the Holy Scriptures, should be required of every one who is admitted to the privileges of Masonry, and that a denial of the same is an offense against the Consti- tution, calling for exemplary discipline.
In 1869 Grand Master Reynolds said:
It is unmasonic to ridicule any or all of the three great lights in Masonry, and a Free Mason guilty of such an offense is unfit to be installed Master of a Lodge.
Every candidate before admission, must solemnly avow a belief in God; a subsequent sincere avowal of a disbelief in God is a practical renunciation of Free Masonry.
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In 1893 the great Masonic Congress held at Chicago and com- posed of the delegates from nearly every North American jurisdiction unanimously decided that
It is the conclusion of the Congress that an equivocal belief and trust in God is the fundamental principle upon which the institution of Freemasonry was founded and must forever rest.
In 1887 there was a flagrant violation of this. It was known as the "Crum case."
Chapter 36 THE CRUM CASE
Vienna Lodge No. 150
BY RICHARD C. DAVENPORT, GRAND SECRETARY
In 1887, Grand Master A. T. Darrah received a communication from a member of Vienna Lodge No. 150, asking if "Charges could be sustained against a Mason who disbelieves the Bible, and who does not believe in the God of the same." The Grand Master assured the brother that charges should be sustained against such brother and he be expelled.
Later the Grand Master learned that a number of the members of Vienna Lodge belonged to a society which disbelieved the Bible and denied the existence of the God of the same. The president of the society was Brother John S. Crum, a member of Vienna Lodge and former secretary. He published an address which had been delivered on the subject of the Bible, under the title of: "Believe or be Damned," in which he took great delight in making light of the Bible and of God. One sentence in his atheistic address reads as follows: "I therefore pronounce the first sentence in this old Jewish book a falsehood."
Brother Crum was placed on trial, at which trial Brother James A. Rose, Right Worshipful District Deputy Grand Master and former Secretary of State, presided. The specifications included the charge of atheism, denying the Divine authenticity of the Bible, of ridiculing that Book, declaring portions of it false and speaking contemptuously of it. The accused was acquitted of all but that of casting ridicule on the Bible. Although found guilty on this specification, the lodge re- fused to fix a penalty, whereupon the Grand Master suspended the functions of the lodge.
Meanwhile, Brother Crum preferred charges against the Worship- ful Master, for permitting a sectarian question to be presented to the lodge for consideration. These charges were promptly dismissed by the Grand Master, who assured Brother Crum, that in his opinion, any
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Mason holding such views as his, ought never to see the inside of a Masonic Lodge. In reply to this, Brother Crum requested the Grand Master to submit the case, fairly, to the Grand Lodge, which he did.
The Jurisprudence Committee reported that the case presented for consideration:
imposes upon your committee a delicate duty. They quote the first of the old charges, "Concerning God and Religion;" and state that: Under this same charge atheists are excluded from Masonry, the warrant for such exclusion being found in the following: "A Mason is obliged by his tenure, to obey the moral law; and if he rightly understands the art, he will never be a stupid atheist, nor an irreligious liberatine." Atheists being excluded, what is, then, "that religion in which all men agree?" Manifestly it is the belief in a Supreme Being.
Holding in common to the great fact of the existence of God, all Masons must stand upon the level of a perfect equality whenever and wherever assembled as such. As a man, Masonry leaves each one free to his own theological interpretation; but his freedom confers no license to enforce or engraft his interpretation upon the Institution.
The Jurisprudence Committee pointed out that the Master had violated Code 486 in permitting charges involving questions of a sec- tarian character to be presented to his lodge. They excused him on the ground that he was acting under the advice of the Grand Master which might be considered an order or at least a direction.
The Committee held that the trial of Brother Crum was void be- cause it was held in violation of the Code, that there was nothing to be gained by punishing the Master, and closed their report as follows:
Your Committee therefore recommends that the whole proceeding be regarded in fact, as it was in law, void ab initio, leaving all parties enjoying the same status as before the mischievous proceedings was begun.
The position taken by the Jurisprudence Committee, of which Past Grand Master Joseph Robbins was Chairman, startled the Ma- sonic world and was severely criticised by many Jurisdictions. Brother Josiah H. Drummond of Maine, called it the
Most dangerous attack upon Freemasonry that has ever come to our knowledge, and all the more dangerous because it is made in the name of Masonry and by Masons who love Masonry.
Kansas comments as follows:
Now, if this decision of the Grand Lodge is concurred in by the Fraternity in Illinois, we simply ask them to be consistent and remove the Bible from their Masonic altars.
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Similar comments were made by several Jurisdictions, and many lengthy discussions of the case may be found in the Correspondence Reports of our Grand Lodge Proceedings, beginning with the year 1888. At that time Brother Robbins was appointed Chairman of the Committee on Correspondence. He replied to all his critics in that masterful style of his, but failed to convince them that our Grand Lodge was right in approving his report of the Jurisprudence Com- mittee in 1887.
The Charter of Vienna Lodge was restored by action of the Grand Lodge. Brother John C. Smith was elected Grand Master and it be- came his duty to return the Charter.
I close this brief account of one of the most interesting and widely discussed cases in Illinois Masonic history, by quoting from the an- nual report of Grand Master Smith in 1888.
At the earnest request of the many brethren interested, I personally visited this lodge and restored its charter. I called the attention of the brethren to that part of the address of M.W. Brother Darrah relating to their lodge, and the action of Grand Lodge thereon. While not in sympathy with action of Grand Lodge, and believing the Holy Bible to be the first and most important of the three great lights of Freema- sonry, I did not forget that I was there to enforce the laws and edicts of Grand Lodge.
In my address to the brethren, I reminded them of the fact that the Holy Bible is God's inestimable gift to man, and that the Freemason who scoffed at the same ought to renounce the Fraternity. At the same time I recommended forbearance with the wayward brother, and urged that he be directed to take as his guide a copy of the Holy Writings, "that great light in Masonry, which would guide him to all truth, direct his paths to the temple of happiness, and point out to him the whole duty of man." I cannot forbear to mention, as I have been compelled to notice, that no action of this Grand Lodge has ever been so severely eriticised as its decision in this Vienna Lodge ease.
Chapter 37 RITE OF MEMPHIS
In 1884 Grand Master Browning said:
It having been reported to me that an organization called the "Egyptian Rite of Memphis" and other organizations of like character, were claiming the right to organize "Blue Lodges" I referred the matter to the Committee on Foreign Correspondence for an investigation and report.
The report affirmed the exclusive control over the three degrees conferred by symbolic lodges and continued
Notwithstanding the pointed provision of this groundwork of the craft, it has been the practice in some states of Continental Europe, and in the Spanish settlements of the Continents of Central and South America, to merge the Craft with outside associations of Masons ( both legitimate and illegitimate), a union that never was contemplated by the original progenitators of the Institution, and which is not only inimi- cal to independent craft existence, but is also in violation of the primary law of its early organic foundation. For these reasons this Grand Lodge has for years declined to recognize Grand Lodges that were not in their entirety made up of Lodges deriving their authority from Constitutional Grand Bodies of Freemasonry.
The Grand Lodge of Illinois has never interposed obstacles to mem- bers of its lodges entering into any association of Masons ( without the portals of its lodges), but it firmly denies to such associations the author- ity to assume, in any associated capacity or otherwise, any function inhering to its lodges; therefore it is, that the attention of your committee has been called to an article appearing in a periodical known as the "Masonic World" a paragraph of which will be found in the following letter of inquiry. As such publication was supposed to be the organ or mouthpiece of the so-called "Egyptian Masonic Rite of Memphis," with central authority resident in Boston, Mass., I addressed a letter to Brother Darius Wilson 96°, and the Grand Master of said rite as fol- lows:
The letter in part reads:
The Grand Lodge of Illinois has never presumed to dictate to mem- bers of its constituent lodges their affiliations with other sodalities or
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associations, if of a reputable character, and do not offer any hostility to the fundamental principles upon which the lodge is founded, but we do insist upon entire and unreserved control of the degrees of Sym- bolic or Craft Masonry, to wit .: the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason, within the territorial jurisdiction of our Grand Lodge. Will you therefore advise this committee if under any circumstances or conditions, it is held by the body over which you have the honor to preside, that it has an inherent right to establish, conduct or control Blue Lodges, meaning thereby the three degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason.
The reply stated that the body over which Darius Wilson presided had the same right to establish lodges as that possessed by any other organization. He said they had not organized any lodges and did not intend to do so where a Grand Lodge was in control but:
We do not propose to be bottled up and prevented from working by the hostile and un-Masonic action of any Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M.
The constitution provided that all meetings should be held in the "Sovereign Sanctuary" and by the "Most Illustrious Sovereign Grand Master General."
The section on powers of the Grand Master reads:
He shall possess authority to confer all the various degrees from first to the ninety-sixth inclusive, provided, however the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason shall not be conferred in any State or Territory where there exists a Grand Lodge regularly constituted by authority of this or any other Rite of Masonry; provided further, that should it come to his knowledge that the Grand Lodge of any State or Territory by edict, resolution or constitution, shall denounce the Rite of Memphis, proscribed any of its degrees, or en- deavored in any manner to prevent members of its dependents from receiving said degrees, or by any other act attempted to injure or prevent the working of the degrees of the Rite of Memphis, the Most Illustrious Grand Master General may, in consequence of such unMasonic act, con- sider such State or Territory Masonically unoccupied, and may at his dis- cretion grant charters for Masters of Lodges of the Egyptian Rite of Mem- phis, and when in his opinion a sufficient number of subordinate lodges have been formed in such State or Territory, he shall grant a charter for the constitution of a Grand Lodge of three degrees which, after its establishment, shall possess exclusive and supreme control of the first, second and third degrees within such State or Territory.
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